Eternity
by ForeverCountingStars
Summary: He fell in love with her almost instantly, at the tender age of fourteen. He thought it would take an eternity just to get her. What he did not know at the time, however, was that he would get an eternity to keep her. Pre-Twilight. AU. One-shot.


_Title: Eternity_

_Category: Twilight_

_Featured Pairing: Rosalie Hale/ Emmett Cullen_

_Summary: He fell in love with her almost instantly, at the tender age of fourteen. He thought it would take an eternity just to get her. What he did not know at the time, however, was that he would get an eternity to keep her. Pre-Twilight. AU. One-shot._

_A/N: Just an idea I had. I pictured what if Emmett and Rosalie had known each other nearly their whole lives, and that soon led to this concept in which Emmett spent the next several years of his life trying to make her his. Reviews/feedback are greatly appreciated._

—Red

* * *

Eternity

* * *

_Nelly, I am Healthcliff! He's always, always in my mind: not as a pleasure, any more than I am always a pleasure to myself, but as my own being."_

_― Emily Brontë, Wuthering Heights_

* * *

1929:

Snow had just begun to fall as fourteen year-old Rosalie Hale walked happily alongside her two parents. Winter in Rochester had always been a lovely sight, especially from a child's eyes. However, what Rosalie Hale had her eyes on that very day had nothing to do with the beauty of the bustling city.

The temperature continued to drop as the day progressed, and eventually, it became too cold to carry on the family's afternoon stroll. Only five minutes had passed as they started to walk home, and yet Rosalie Hale was already beginning to shiver. Not wanting their daughter to catch a cold, the Hale family stopped at one of the local cafés to warm up. It was there that she spotted the boy whom would soon steal her heart.

* * *

His name was Emmett McCarty. Curly black hair, dark blue eyes, and a daring personality to match. He had gone to the café to spend time with his older brother, after nearly five entire months of not seeing him. He expected nothing less of a good time, filled with dares, laughs, and perhaps a few drinks (for his brother, of course). Instead, he had fallen in love.

He didn't know where she was from, much less who she was. All that he possessed knowledge of was that she carried with her looks any sensible woman, child or adult, would kill for. Strands of her light blonde hair were placed in a wave of curls, her cheeks stained a rosy shade of red from the cold. But it was in her eyes that he saw it.

Her spirit. A blazing fire that could not be tamed. By just looking into them, he knew that she only wanted the best in life, because that was who she believed she was. But there is always more to a person than what is on the outside. And he knew, that from that moment on, it no longer mattered on what type of person she was, or what social class she was from. For he wanted her, and he would not stop until he had her.

* * *

1930:

It all began with a bouquet of wildflowers, delivered right on their front porch. As much as Rosalie loved them, she did not dare utter a word as her parents argued in the kitchen.

Her father, still young and ambitious at the time, frowned upon the anonymously sent flowers. "A true gentleman would have introduced himself when delivering the flowers, and would go to the extent of actually purchasing, not picking, the flowers."

Her mother, despite what her husband thought of the poorly displayed gift, was ecstatic. "William, do you know what this means for our daughter, for our family? If a boy is already sending her flowers at the age of fourteen, picture the sort of men who will find themselves attracted to her as she ages! Rosalie is lovely now, yes, but imagine how beautiful she will be in several years!"

Their conversation continued on like this, and soon, Rosalie no longer take it. She fled the room, and not long after did she find herself wandering the usually crowded streets. Twenty minutes into this, she noticed a broad figure walking at what seemed a comfortable distance at the time. But with each taken, the figure had begun to move closer, despite Rosalie's attempts at walking faster.

She was startled when she heard their voice. They (or more specifically, he) spoke in a low tone. He sounded confident, even amused. "How did you like the flowers?"

This question quickly turned her attention onto the boy. She wanted to tell him the truth, that nobody has ever done something as kind as to what he did. For there was not only a bouquet of wildflowers, but also a small letter attached, explaining his feelings. That was a secret she had kept to herself, though. Rosalie assumed her parents would not mind, or even care for that matter.

But pride had gotten the better of her. "I thought they were disgusting. I would have preferred store-bought flowers over those any day."

"Some people can't afford that," he whispered quietly, his smile quickly vanishing.

Rosalie could not help but feel guilty after seeing his reaction to her harsh comment, but knew it was for the better. Surely he would not dream of pursuing her after learning of her viewpoint. _We would have been quite a pair_, she thought.

A marriage of two entirely different classes only occurred within fairytales, such as _Pride and Prejudice_. Though she did not dare admit it, secretly Rosalie adored Darcy's attraction towards Elizabeth. _  
_

People, at the time, did not only marry out of love, but also of wealth and status. By his appearance, and by his attitude, Rosalie already knew his family was not as fortunate as hers. Someday, he would make a girl very happy, she was sure. And yet, she also knew that girl could never be her.

But as she reread his letter to her that night, social standings did not see as important as they had once been.

* * *

1931:

Even after her rejection, Emmett kept on. He wrote countless letters and even saved up enough to actually purchase a store-bought bouquet. The sight of the lovely flowers nearly brought Rosalie to tears. Never in her lifetime did she think she would find someone who cared for her as much as that boy (whose name she discovered, was Emmett) did.

But with each time they talked, Rosalie coolly told him she was not interested. Though it affected his heart, it did nothing to end what he felt. Emmett continued to pester her with kindly-written words and corny jokes until she finally agreed to accompany him to the local café in which he had first seen her.

They spent close to three hours there, talking about their past as much as they did their future. Both were still unsure of what lied ahead. She laughed at his given attempt at humor, and he accepted her shallow opinions of subjects in which he completely disagreed with. For the first time in her life, Rosalie felt as though someone finally understood her.

The young couple had been discussing whether the separation of classes was a factor when choosing who to marry when suddenly, he stopped walking. She looked up at him, confusion only beginning to register on her face when he leaned down and kissed her.

His lips, as soft as the snow that was falling that very night, were hesitant, as if waiting to see whether or not she would push away. Instead, she grabbed the collar of his shirt, pulling him closer. His arms snaked around her waist, and she could feel the smile forming beneath his lips. After several moments, they finally broke apart.

_Damn the classes,_ he thought, _damn our status. _He would hang the moon if it meant they could be together. There had to be a way. There just had to.

* * *

1933:

She was engaged. He knew this was coming. For the past two years, they had met in secret, never thinking of what the future might hold. Neither being brave enough to say the words that they knew would tear them apart.

They never had a chance. And it wasn't until Emmett McCarty saw the diamond ring on her finger that he finally understood. Rosalie Hale was no longer his. If she never had been.

* * *

1934:

Dead. She was gone. They never found her body, nor the killer. But when they claimed the case to be unsolvable, she might as well have been. They had still met, even after the engagement. Talking crazy things, like running away together the day of the wedding. He never expected her to leave without him, if she had ever left at all.

There had been splatters of blood mixed in with broken bottles near her friend Vera's house, with whom she had been visiting that night. When Royce was brought in for questioning, he denied everything. Eventually, the case died down.

Emmett wondered if his feelings would ever do the same. Where she was now, he couldn't imagine. But wherever she was, he hoped Rosalie was happy. Because, despite everything, it was what she deserved.

* * *

1935:

The pain was excruciating. He thought he had already died when she saved him from the grizzly attack. He watched in amazement as she took the gigantic bear down as if it were a doll. But when he felt her touch, heard her voice... Emmett was so sure he was already gone.

They moved at impossible speeds, and with each minute that passed, Emmett found it was getting harder and harder to breathe. He heard Rosalie's pleas, her angelic voice begging her to stay with him, that they weren't that far.

* * *

"Emmett, don't you dare leave me," she whispered, stroking his hair as he laid on a bed, trying as hard as he could not to scream in pain.

"Never," was the last word he spoke as a human.

* * *

He had fallen in love with her almost instantly, thinking it would take an eternity to get her. What he did not know at the time, was that he would have an eternity to keep her.

* * *

The End

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_A/N: Reviews/feedback are greatly appreciated._

_—Red_


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